WHO Issues Concern Over Severe Scarcity of Weight-Loss Injections

Less than a tenth of people that would benefit from weight-loss injections such as Wegovy are able to get them, states the World Health Organization as it publishes its initial guidance on the drugs.

With in excess of 1,000,000,000 individuals worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for more widespread and fairer availability to these injectable treatments.

Per forecasts, over two billion will be obese by 2030 if no action is taken.

"Our new guidelines recognises that excess weight is a long-term condition that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," remarked WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, insufficient output, and supply-chain constraints are key hurdles to universal availability to the jabs that can help people shift considerable body mass, says the organization.

Weight-Loss Drug Shortage

Even in the present most favorable scenario, the production of GLP-1 therapies would only suffice for around 100 million people – less than 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.

The advice encourages governments and firms to widen availability, via measures such as voluntary licensing.

A patent on semaglutide – the primary ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is due to expire in multiple countries in 2026.

How Obesity Injections Work

GLP-1 drugs mimick a body's own hormone to delay gastric emptying, curb appetite and increase satiety so users eat less.

Patients commonly begin shedding pounds in the initial weeks of starting on the regular doses.

Studies suggests people may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, when their normal appetite come back.

To be carrying excess weight raises your chance for contracting health problems, like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain malignancies.

Excess weight impacts individuals in every country and was linked to millions of fatalities worldwide in 2024, as per the health agency.